Robert D Case

I’m a seasoned technology executive, leader and strategist in emerging technologies to include anything with IP in it which can thrive in the public sector with the proper strategy and execution.

Imagining a Modern Government

How many times have you heard the term “Digital Transformation” in the past year?

If you subscribe to any business publications, you probably can’t go more than a few days without hearing it. You’ll read about how retail, finance, education, and healthcare institutions are making big investments in tech to further their efficiencies, profitability, revenues, etc. Yet, the only time you really see government and digital being mentioned positively in the same sentence is when there’s another article published about smart cities and a far-off utopia (or dystopia depending on your level of cynicism).

Governments are often thought about as being bureaucratic and slow-moving, but the ones that take a step forward digitally see significant improvements with their constituencies. For example, here are 5 U.S. cities that are providing excellent digital services. Through their efforts, these governments see lifts in their respective efficiencies & engagement.

In the UK, the central government’s digital strategy revolved around 5 major themes:

Modernizing operations of public services to be more efficient

Skill & Cultural Development

Upgrading workplace tools & processes for public servants

Improving transparency with data

Using shared platforms to boost efficiency

These are some of the areas where citizens see the private sector making big strides, and are increasingly disappointed when their local, state, and federal governments can’t keep up. When they do however, their constituents rejoice. The UK for example, launched GOV.UK Pay, “a cross-government platform aiming to make it easier for citizens to make payments such as council tax.” The US similarly, launched vets.gov which “consolidates information from thousands of sources into one website for veterans”.

If you interact with your government regularly, you know that there are a ton of other ways it can improve its digital presence. So, how have other governments approached their digital transformations?